News Top Android Update : Top Android News Of The Week - New Trojan, DIY Repair Site, And Windows App Does Android

Summary:This week in the world of Android saw news of a new site for those who want to fix their own gadgets, an easy way to run Android apps under Windows, and an Android trojan is out that works even when you think you're device is shut down.

iFixit goes full-bore with Android Repair Hub :

Chances are you've seen one of iFixit's breakdown articles for some device or another. These folks are experts at tearing open even the smallest gadgets and determining how easy they would be to repair when something goes wrong.

They've announced they are taking this expertise to the next level, with user forums sharing information to help owners repair their own gadgets. The Android Repair Hub is going strong, as they already have repair guides for 250 Android devices.

Source: Android Community

Malware discovered that works when device is off :

Security experts at AVG have discovered a vicious Android malware exploit that quietly takes over devices when installed. It is particularly insidious as it makes the device owner believe they have they have shut down their device, but in reality it keeps running although the gadget appears to be off.

The malware can make calls, send texts, and take photos while the owner believes the device is shut down.

Source: Net Security

Run Android apps on Windows PCs :

Not sure why you'd want to but those wishing to run Android apps on a Windows system can easily do so with AmiDuOS. This $10 Windows app runs Android (KitKat) that can run Android apps.

The app is easy to install, and in minutes you can be running your favorite Android apps. It supports the Amazon app store and the company has instructions for installing the Google Play store.

Source: Computerworld

Rumor: Next Samsung tablet to be thinner than iPad Air 2 :

Samsung has a big event early next month where it's expected to unveil new tablets and the Galaxy S6. A rumor based on information from insiders says one of the products to be launched is the Galaxy Tab S2.

What's interesting is that the insiders claim the new Samsung tablets will be thinner than the iPad Air 2. Samsung will supposedly offer the Tab S2 in both 8-inch and 9.7-inch versions.

Source: Sammobile

Posted by Unknown Monday, February 23, 2015

Report : Ninety-Nine Percent Of Fresh Malware Programs Attack Android

As per results of the Kaspersky Protection Message 2012, 99% of recently found mobile harmful programs target the Android operating system foundation, while only a very little bit objectives Coffee and Symbian-based mobile phones. The review found that 2012 was the second year to show intense growth in Android operating system viruses. From a minimal eight new unique harmful programs in Jan 2011, the normal monthly development amount for new Android operating system viruses this year went up to more than 800 examples. This year, Kaspersky Lab determined a typical of 6300 new mobile viruses examples every month. Overall, in 2012, the number of known harmful examples for Android operating system increased more than eight times. 

The majority of Android operating system viruses can be separated into three main groups according to performance. Elaborating further, the review contributes that “SMS Trojans” vacant victims’ mobile records by delivering SMS text messages to premium-rate figures. Backdoors provide unexpected access to a smart phone, making it possible to set up other harmful programs or grab personal information. Malware objectives the unexpected collection of information, such as address books and security passwords (or even individual photos in some cases).

In the first half of 2012, Backdoors, SMS Virus viruses and Malware combined included 51% of all recently found Android operating system viruses. In the Top 10 graph of Android operating system viruses that was obstructed by Kaspersky Mobile Protection or Kaspersky Tablet Protection, SMS Virus viruses showed up to be the most extensive, with programs showing unwanted ads to customers in second place.

Less extensive but by far the most dangerous are mobile banking Virus viruses that often work together with their pc alternatives, as was the case with Carberp-in-the-Mobile.

The Android operating system foundation allows software installation from untrusted sources, and one of the best ways to guarantee an disease is to set up programs from dubious websites. However, viruses on the formal Google Perform program submission foundation is another trend that started this year and ongoing in 2012, despite Google’s best initiatives to reduce cybercriminal activity. One of the most uncommon examples of mobile viruses in 2012 was the "Find and Call" program that managed to put into the Google Perform shop as well as Apple’s app shop.

The FakeRun Android operating system Virus, which is one of the most extensive in the United States but also frequent in other countries of the world, does not grab users’ personal information. It connected to a vast family of phony programs that do nothing but display ads that generate income for their designer. One particular harmful program known as Virus.AndroidOS.FakeRun.a that showed up in Google Perform forced customers to give it a five-star rating and share information about the app on their Facebook records before it would even start. The only thing that customers received though was frustrating ads.

One of the most popular mobile Virus viruses in European countries is Virus.AndroidOS.Plangton.a. To an unskilled smart phone owner, the only proof of its existence are the ads that appear every now and then and some uncommon records in the bookmarks section of the Android operating system web internet browser. After disease, the Virus joins to a control server and changes website favorites as well as opening a web page that reveals customers to potential online frauds.

Russia’s mobile Internet landscape is filled with SMS Virus viruses – harmful programs delivering text messages to premium-rate figures that basically takes users’ cash. For example, Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.Opfake.bo cover up itself as an user interface skin, but in fact registers the user to costly “premium” content.

Posted by Unknown Sunday, February 10, 2013

Report : India Witnessed Almost 90% Rise In Windows Malware

Indian is under the grip of online strikes, if a review by Fast Cure is to be believed. According to the review, the nation has witnessed an improve of almost 90 % in Windows viruses and there has been a mind-boggling improve of 170 % in viruses variations. The trouble makers are also winning the war on the cellular foundation. Virus strikes in the cellular space are rising rapidly, with a 30 % development registered this season and an 80 % improve in its variations.

While personal computers are still the major target for viruses writers, the review declares that there is an obvious peak in the development of viruses and variations on cell phone gadgets, especially on Android os. The Fast Cure Annual Windows and Mobile Malware Report, 2012, released by Fast Cure Technology, declares that there has been a chronic improve in the variety of viruses strikes on Android os gadgets and applications have become the easiest way to bargain gadgets.

Social technological innovation, according to the review, still remains one of the most popular ways to spread viruses. Cyber scammers continue to use it as a convenient way to manipulate human behavior and foundation weaknesses. 

Commenting on the results of the research, Sanjay Katkar, Technical Home and CTO, Fast Cure Technology, said, "Windows is still the most assaulted os. 2012 saw numerous strikes that were developed for Windows weaknesses. Cyber scammers have utilized zero-day uses even more effectively with new software styles and business models". He added, “The web is still the most conventional way of focusing on sufferers and our efforts should be driven to educate the end customers and create awareness.”

On a related note, ESET recently pointed out that viruses and viruses growing through flash pushes and the development of viruses focusing on Android os were the primary trends of the viruses landscape in Indian in 2013. As per ESET's 2011 review, viruses for cell mobile phones was marked a primary trend for 2012. This time, the scientists focused on viruses for Android os OS as the business of Android os cell mobile phones has been increasing considerably.

During the first quarter of 2012, according to IDC research, Android os documented a year-over-year increase of 145 % in business. Furthermore, Juniper, in its whitepaper “Banking Anytime Anywhere” reports that in 2013, the variety of customers obtaining financial services from their mobile phones will increase to 530 million. According to the same study, this season, there were only 300 million individuals who utilized banks from their mobile phones.

“There are over 27 million smart phone customers in Indian, according to different quotes. Though it comes to about only 3 % of total cell phone customers in the nation, we see the huge development of smartphones’ usage. Moreover, even the majority of cheap devices run Android os. Although we did not register many cases of Android os viruses in Indian, compared to some other countries, once Indians start actively using their cell phones for internet shopping, financial, etc. the picture will change immediately," said Pankaj Jain, Home at ESET Indian.

Posted by Unknown Friday, January 04, 2013

Android Gingerbread, ICS Most Vulnerable To Malware

Over the past few years, the Android operating system foundation has accumulated a lot of reputation, and most of the best mobile phones in the world are operating on it. However, since its development in reputation, the foundation has also been well known for gaining viruses. Majority of folks by Kaspersky Laboratories has found that the most well-known objectives for internet scammers were Android operating system gadgets operating edition 2.3.6, known as Gingerbread, and Android operating system 4.0.4 Ice Lotion Food.

According to the review, Research of cellular viruses for Android operating system OS by Kaspersky Lab experts in Q3 2012 exposed that the most well-known objectives among internet scammers were these Android operating system variations.

The review mentioned that the fast development in the number of new cellular harmful applications for Android operating system ongoing in the third one fourth, forcing the professionals at Kaspersky Lab to recognize the foundation variations most frequently focused by internet scammers. Android operating system 2.3.6 Gingerbread included 28 % of all clogged efforts to set up viruses, while the second most generally assaulted edition was the new 4.0.4 Ice Lotion Food, which included 22 % of efforts.

“Although Gingerbread was launched back in Sept 2011, due to the segmentation of the Android operating system system market it still continues to be one of the most well-known variations, which, in turn, draws improved interest from cybercriminals,” mentioned Yuri Namestnikov, Mature Malware Specialist at Kaspersky Lab. “The reputation of the most newest edition of the Android operating system OS – Ice Lotion Food – among virus authors can be described by the fact that the gadgets operating the newest variations of the OS are more appropriate for online activities. Unfortunately, customers definitely browsing the web often end up on harmful sites.”

The research note declares that more than one half of all viruses recognized on individual mobile phones became SMS Trojan's, i.e., harmful applications that grab money from victims’ cellular records by delivering SMS information to top quality rate numbers.

The OpFake family members has become the most extensive (38.3 % of all the harmful applications recognized for Android) among all the cellular viruses family members. All the applications in this family members cover themselves as OperaMini. A fifth of the harmful applications recognized (20 percent) on individual gadgets are flexible Trojan's, most of which are part of the Plangton family members. After being set up on a system, these Trojan's gather service data on the cell phone, send it to the control hosting server, and wait for the internet criminals’ orders. Specifically, harmful applications in this family members can stealthily change favorites and the webpage. Third place in the position was taken by the FakeInst family members, whose members imagine to be programs for well-known applications (17 percent). These two types of viruses are mostly allocated via so-called alternative app stores created by internet scammers.

The report ends by stating that mobile threats of this kind can be neutralised with the help of dedicated mobile applications such as Kaspersky Mobile Security and Kaspersky Tablet Security.

With the popularity of the Android, the number of hackers and malware targeting it has grown too. However, a majority of threats for Android originate from a single malware family, Android.FakeInstaller.

Posted by Unknown Friday, November 09, 2012

Report : Google Building Malware Scanner For Google Play

Summary: Search giant Google is to integrate a malware scanner in its online Android application store in a bid to stave off an impending malware 'pandemic' on the mobile platform.

Google will integrate a malware scanner in the Google Play application store for Android devices that may help prevent malicious apps from reaching end users, according to a report.

On the internet information site Android operating system Cops indicates Search engines may be applying the back-end remedy as a result of criminal programs attaining the Android operating system program store in latest several weeks and months. According to the sequence of the Android operating system program program (.APK) computer file launched this week, post such as package_malware_title and package_malware_banner_warning with associated alerts such as: "Installing this app may damage your device" were found.

It also follows a review a few months ago by protection company Pattern Small that cautioned of a "malware pandemic" by it all one fourth -- which we're already in.

There are two areas to the viruses scanner: an "App Check" assistance that examines all the lamps programs already set up to figure out whether any current programs may damage the product or. The second part is a "doorman-style app blocker" that cautions the individual if an app about to be downloadable may be dangerous, or has been flagged as dubious.

The online book formerly mentioned "Bouncer," a work in improvement by Search engines that functions as a server-side viruses recognition assistance for Search engines Play -- which was returning then known as the Android operating system Market. It's though the assistance was designed by VirusTotal, a online viruses checking application, which was obtained by Search engines last month. Financial conditions of the deal were not revealed.

ZDNet has put in concerns to Search engines. If or when we listen to returning, we'll upgrade the piece.

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Over 60 Percent Of Android Malware Comes From One Malware Family : McAfee

As the popularity of Android operating system has grown, so has the variety of online hackers and viruses focusing on it. However, it has now been exposed that a majority of risks for Android operating system develop from a single viruses close relatives, Android operating system.FakeInstaller.

According to a report by online security company McAfee, viruses from the FakeInstaller close relatives records for more than 60 percent of all Android operating system risks the company procedures. The FakeInstaller viruses masquerades as well-known programs, and once installed by customers, produces income by quietly delivering SMS information to top quality figures without the person's approval. McAfee declares that there are a huge variety of versions for this viruses, and it is allocated on hundreds of sites and bogus marketplaces.

This viruses has obviously been greatly effective as people tend to drop for bogus programs quite easily. What exactly is more, McAfee declares that such risks are growing dangerous as they are applying advanced methods to avoid recognition such as server-side polymorphism, obfuscation, antireversing methods and frequent recompilation.

McAfee declares that the scams starts when customers look for for a well-known application and access a bogus formal website or bogus market via look for engines or social network sites. Applications usually appear to be genuine, such as screenshots, explanations, reviews and video clips, as a result of which unaware customers drop into the snare and set up the viruses.

After installation, when Android operating system.FakeInstaller is implemented, it shows a service contract that informs the individual that one or more SMS’ will be sent; this contract has obviously been found in Western or British. The individual is then forced to click on an Agree or Next option, which delivers a top quality SMS message. McAfee shows that it has come upon variations of the viruses that deliver SMS information before customers even see or click on a option. Often, bogus progress cafes are shown to create customers think some process is developing.

There are also variations of FakeInstaller that besides delivering top quality SMS information, also consist of a entry to receive orders from a remote hosting server. A edition, FakeInstaller.S uses “Android Reasoning to System Messaging” to sign-up the contaminated devices in a data source and deliver them information (URLs) from viruses authors Google records.

McAfee declares that previous variations of FakeInstaller were meant only for Southern Western customers, but the designers of the viruses have extended their value to consist of other countries - adding guidelines to get the Cellular Country Code and Cellular Network Code of it. Based on that information, Android/FakeInstaller chooses the premium-rate figures and the text for the SMS information.

The Android operating system.FakeInstaller viruses familly’s efficiency and money-making ability has inspired harmful app authors to keep upgrading and enhancing their viruses. Moreover, new bogus marketplaces and bogus sites spring up almost daily, and are hard to keep track of. These sites often divert issues for app downloading to the harmful edition of the app on a different hosting server.  McAfee declares that it has also seen fake-site URLs distributed via Tweets by bot records and bogus Facebook or myspace information.

“Malware authors appear to create plenty of cash with this type of scams, so they are determined to continue enhancing their facilities, value, and methods to try to avoid anti-virus software,” McAfee declares.

How to stay secure? Simple: Don't set up any app from outside the Google Play store or follow links on unusual sites. Also, it wouldn't hurt to set up some sort of anti-virus on your smart phone.

Posted by Unknown Friday, October 12, 2012

Malicious Malware Targets Journalists, Free Press Organizations

Summary: An opportunistic assailant attempted to deceive Committee to Protect Journalists and load malicious malware onto a computer belonging to the the organization's director. 

Last week the Executive Home of the Panel to Secure Correspondents received an e-mail that looked like it was sent from a co-worker at brother company Globe Press Independence Panel.

The e-mail included hidden viruses - that, if implemented, would have allowed distant monitoring by an unknown celebration.

Every season journalists all over the globe are killed in reprisal for confirming on (and in) places such as Syria and Somalia.

Non-governmental companies like the Panel to Secure Correspondents fight to guard high-risk journalists and protect global no cost press offenses.

In doing so the CPJ takes on dangerous globally cases of abduction, strikes, censorship, expulsion, following, jail time and killing of journalists and media professionals globally.

Now their perform has put them square in the crosshairs of nasty viruses strikes.

The Panel to Secure Correspondents has come forth with information about how it was targeted with tactics of carefully designed impersonation to place viruses onto one of its key computer systems.

The first red banner for CPJ Home Fran Simon was a minor misspelling of co-worker Rony Koven's name - the e-mail came from a Yahoo current e-mail address with the name "Rony Kevin."

CPJ's Internet Loyality Manager Danny O'Brien described the e-mail saying,

    The subject of the email was "Fw: Correspondents caught in Gambia," and the material of the email was boilerplate written text about reporters who had been recently caught, followed by "Please review the accessories for more information."

    The writing was actually duplicated and duplicated and pasted from this Content 19 aware. The writing guaranteed more information in an attached ZIP pc file, called "Details," which it said was password protected with the letters "CPJ."
The CPJ explained that since software strikes on companies such as theirs are on the rise, this particular viruses attempt was a good example for discussion.

Naturally, the seasoned company didn't open any of the dubious accessories. Instead the CPJ quarantined the e-mail package for evaluation and 'forensics' perform.

There were five items in the .zip pc file. It included a written text pc file, three images of Gambian journalists - and a Windows exe hidden as an image pc file.

When triggered, the exe was indeed viruses set to unpack itself, run in the background and communicate from the Director's pc to a device that security specialist Morgan Marquis-Boire located in Philippines.

O'Brien mailed the Indonesian server's administrators to no utilize.

That's probably because in this example it in Philippines is only acting as a distant server, rather than the final destination for information the viruses would send to the coming celebration.

In plain terms, when viruses is installed on somebody's pc it is managed from a distant device - through another device.

But knowing the type of viruses used to strike the Panel to Secure Correspondents is a bit more disclosing.

While the objective of the viruses is still in question, typically the type of viruses in CPJ's bogus Gambian e-mail is used to log key strokes and possibly assist in entry to e-mail and other types of accounts. A standard type of account affected in this type of viruses example would be Skype -  viruses like this commonly includes Skype accessibility.

Unfortunately this type of strike on no cost press companies - and journalists - is becoming more typical as viruses toolkits increase in accessibility in the globally pc subterranean.

O'Brien burdened the weight of the attack's purpose by analyzing its social technological innovation details:

    The bogus identity of the email's source and the material about Gambian journalists suggest that somebody had dedicated some time to knowing CPJ, its interests, and its network of partners. (...)

    Whoever sent this wanted entry to CPJ's computer systems in particular, and was willing to spend at least some resources obtaining information that would make their e-mails effective to us, and perhaps other globally press freedom groups like the Globe Press Independence Panel and Content 19.

This strike failed, but all parties on the defense team are certain that more viruses efforts are unavoidable.

O'Brien considers that the objectives are not completely companies like his, but in fact the journalists, no cost press and media that CPJ looks for to guard.

With 85 journalists killed in 2011 (plus 179 imprisoned), the 55 journalists killed so far this season, and an increasing accessibility for viruses sets - experiences about viruses strikes on no cost press companies may become disturbingly typical.

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, September 04, 2012

BlackBerry Users Targeted With Malware-Serving Email Campaign

Summary: Security researchers from Websense have intercepted a currently spamvertised malicious campaign, attempting to trick BlackBerry users into downloading and executing the malicious .zip archive.

Security scientists from Websense, have intercepted a currently spamvertised harmful strategy, trying to technique BlackBerry customers into installing and performing the harmful .zip store.

The store with MD5: 9a01293b87b058619d55b8d4d12f2a8e is currently recognized by 27 out of 42 anti-virus readers as Entry.Win32.Androm.gi; Worm:Win32/Gamarue.I.

On a occasional base, cybercriminals huge mail an incredible number of e-mails impersonating several manufacturers in an make an effort to focus on as many areas as possible. Thanks to the openly avaiable DIY e-mail growing resources, and handled directories of already gathered an incredible number of segmented e-mail addressess, cybercriminals are at a unique position to arrive at out to an incredible number of Web customers in hours.

We're definitely going to see more methodical misuse of well known and reliable manufacturers, in an effort by the  cybercriminals to culturally professional end and business customers into getting their strategies.

Posted by Unknown Monday, August 27, 2012

Malware On Macs: Why You Should Care

Everybody knows Macs don't suffer from malware, so how come the Flashback Trojan managed to infect half a million Macs?

According to security firm CEO Eugene Kaspersky, from a security point of view there is no big difference between Mac and Windows, and we're entering a new world of Mac malware.

He might be right. It's important to take security firms claims with a pinch of salt, because of course their job is to jump out of cupboards to frighten children and collect their screams in cylinders, which they use to power Monstropolis. Or was that Sulley and Mike from Monsters Inc? It doesn't matter: either way, they have a vested interest in making people scared.

There is a wonderful conspiracy theory that suggests all of the malware on the internet is actually generated by anti-malware companies in the world's biggest job creation scheme. I don't believe a word of it, but I do think that malware firms can exaggerate many threats: to date, the number of security firm press releases I've read about iPhone malware is more than the number of iPhone users who've ever been affected by malware.

That doesn't mean they're wrong about Macs. Malware writers aren't stupid, but they are efficient: they'll only bother attacking a platform if it's worth the effort.

When Macs were a minority choice, they weren't. Now everybody you know has bought one, they are. The more Macs Apple sells, the more tempting a target those Macs become.

If anything, Apple users might be more vulnerable than Windows ones. Windows users have had the security message pummelled into them for years, but I know lots of recent Mac converts who bought Apple because Macs don't get viruses. That's dangerous, because that kind of thinking makes people go, Ooh, an iTunes update from a website I've never heard of! I'll install it right now!

Slow to respond  :

There's a second factor here. Because Mac malware is a relatively rare thing, Apple hasn't had to be as fast at fixing things as Microsoft has had to. That means its response to issues can be painfully slow, and Flashback is the result of that: it infected Macs but not PCs running Windows or Linux, because the Java update it exploited had already been patched on those platforms. Apple took an extra two months to get round to it.

Apple has since given Oracle the responsibility for Java on OS X, but you can be sure of two things: malware writers will find something else on OS X to attack, and when they do, Apple will probably take too long to react. That has to change.

Flashback's success has made malware writers take notice. OS X Mountain Lion's Gatekeeper will make things more harder for them, but hard doesn't mean impossible, and not every Mac owner will upgrade.

I don't think we should panic, but I don't think we should be cocky either. The security firms may have cried wolf for years, but this time we definitely heard a howl.

Posted by Unknown Sunday, August 26, 2012

Shamoon Malware Infects Computers, Steals Data, Then Wipes Them

Summary: Security companies have detected a piece of malware that steals files from infected machines, then renders the computers useless by overwriting their master boot record.

Protection scientists are analyzing a piece of dangerous viruses that has the ability to overwrite the expert start history of a pc, and which they suppose is being used in focused strikes against specific organizations.

Reports of the 'Shamoon' viruses began growing from security organizations on Saturday. Like other viruses, it takes details, taking data from the 'Users', 'Documents and Settings', and 'System32/Drivers' and 'System32/Config' files on Windows pc systems. One uncommon attribute, however, is that it can overwrite the expert start history (MBR) on contaminated devices, effectively making them ineffective.

Shamoon, which is also known as Disttrack, is being used in focused strikes against at least one company in the energy industry, according to Symantec.

"Threats with such dangerous payloads are uncommon and are not typical of focused strikes," Symantec had written on its security reaction weblog on Saturday. "Security reaction is continuing to analyze this risk and will publish more details as it becomes available."

The viruses includes a 900KB directory that contains a number of "encrypted resources", according to Kaspersky Laboratories. One of these has a finalized hard drive driver from EldoS, a organization security component provider, which is used for raw hard drive access by the malware's components.

It impacts Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows 200, Windows Windows vista, Windows NT, Windows ME, Windows seven, Windows Hosting server 2003 and Windows Hosting server 2008. Symantec said it has modified its anti-virus to protect against the viruses.

In an research, viruses recognition organization Seculert determined that Shamoon uses a two-stage strike. First it infects a pc connected to the internet and turns this into a proxies to connect back with the malware's command-and-control server. After that, it offices out to other pc systems on the business network, takes details, then completes its payload and baby wipes the devices. Finally, it conveys this to the external command-and-control server.

"It is still ambiguous who is behind this strike," Seculert had written in a writing. "We will upgrade this weblog with more details when it becomes available."

As a side note, though samples of the viruses gathered by Kaspersky contain a component with a sequence ending in 'Wiper', the organization does not suppose the virus is related to the innovative Fire viruses, as the name might suggest. Instead, Kaspersky says it considers the viruses is the work of copycats.

Posted by Unknown Friday, August 17, 2012